Is one of your primary goals in your real estate career to make as much money as possible? If so, no matter how long you've been in the business you must continue prospecting.

If you're not prospecting you're simply missing out on a lot of opportunities. And this holds true even if you're already a top producer in your territory. And if you're not a top producer in your territory you probably know somewhere inside of you that you should be doing more prospecting than you currently are right now.

Top producers can get into this lull where they're doing so well compared to most of the other agents in the territory that they get complacent about prospecting, too. And the truth is that if there are good listings that come on the market in your territory and you didn't even know that these owners were going to sell or lease their properties before they appeared in the multiple--you probably aren't doing as much prospecting as you really should be.

Yes, I know we all have the excuses why we can't prospect as much as we know we should--but again I ask you:

"Is one of your primary goals in your real estate career to make as much money as possible?"

(And of course we're talking about making the money ethically and appropriately here.)

If your answer to this question is, "Yes" then you simply must find a way to do the amount of prospecting that you know will maximize your income in your real estate business. Anything less than this is just an excuse.

Start by budgeting some time every day that is devoted to nothing but prospect-calling, walking your geographical farm, and building your farm. Collect the names and contact information of potential customers, via your Web site, sitting an open house for another agent, or floor time at your brokerage. Offer to work the Internet inquiries that come in for your broker. Follow up with online tools such as newsletters or e-cards. Don't take prospects out of your automated contact system until they beg you to stop. They won't.

Published: October 23, 2002

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